Biggest MLB Prospect Bust in the History of All 30 Franchises | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Emily Beck
Published Mar 23, 2026
Chicago White Sox: OF Joe Borchard
Top 100 peak: No. 12 in 2002
A two-sport athlete at Stanford who threw for 1,064 yards with 10 touchdowns in two seasons as a quarterback on the Cardinal football team, Borchard was given a then-record $5.3 million bonus as the No. 12 overall pick in the 2000 draft to leave football behind. He posted an .892 OPS with 27 home runs and 98 RBI in 133 games at Double-A in 2001, but strikeouts were a consistent issue. Over 800 plate appearances in the majors, he hit .205 with 26 home runs, 77 RBI and a 27.8 percent strikeout rate.
Cleveland Guardians: 1B/OF Matt LaPorta
Top 100 peak: No. 23 in 2008
When CC Sabathia was shipped to Milwaukee at the 2008 trade deadline, he brought back a package of LaPorta, Zach Jackson, Rob Bryson and a player to be named. That player ended up being Michael Brantley, but it was LaPorta who was the centerpiece of the deal at the time. A prime example of why prospect evaluators are often hesitant to hype up a young first baseman, LaPorta hit .238/.301/.393 for a 92 OPS+ with 31 home runs, 120 RBI and minus-1.0 WAR in 291 games in Cleveland.
Detroit Tigers: RHP Jacob Turner
Top 100 peak: No. 21 in 2011
Turner was given the fourth-highest bonus of any 2009 first-round pick, signing for $4.7 million as the No. 9 overall selection. He made his MLB debut just a few months after his 20th birthday, but was overmatched early before he was traded to Miami in the deal that brought Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to Detroit. He finished his MLB career with a 5.37 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and minus-2.5 WAR in 369 innings over seven seasons.
Kansas City Royals: OF Bubba Starling
Top 100 peak: No. 24 in 2012
A 4-star quarterback recruit committed to play baseball and football at the University of Nebraska, Starling was given a $7.5 million bonus as the No. 5 pick in the 2011 draft, which was the largest bonus ever for a high school player at the time. His vast five-tool potential never fully clicked, and he hit .204/.246/.298 for a 44 OPS+ over 261 plate appearances in the majors. He did win a silver medal with Team USA in the 2020 Olympics, going 2-for-7 with two RBI at the games.
Minnesota Twins: RHP Adam Johnson
Top 100 peak: No. 41 in 2001
"Scouts aren't sold on his 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame or his maximum-effort delivery, but he has won them over with his pitching savvy, bulldog approach and ability to hold his velocity deep into games. He projects to the middle of the first round, though a team near the top of the draft may take him earlier and try to cut a deal."
The Twins ended up taking him No. 2 overall in what was, admittedly, one of the weaker draft classes in recent years, and he allowed 40 hits and 30 earned runs in 26.1 innings over four starts and five relief appearances in the majors.
